Fifty-two years and a few dozen miles apart, they're quite a pair. Do Al Davis and Jed York know that?

Davis, at 79, is at least a decade removed from his greatest days as a dominant NFL force, and that's being generous. York, at 27, is probably a decade away from establishing himself as a league mainstay, and that is giving away a large benefit of the doubt.

If only Davis were 10 or 15 years younger, and if he hadn't spent these past many years driving away his best lieutenants, the Raiders almost certainly would be in better shape.

If only York were 10 or 15 years more experienced, and if he had the know-how to surround himself with sage advisers, the 49ers almost certainly would have more coherent shape and form.

Yet here they are, at this perilous period for both franchises, and Al Davis and Jed York both are basically alone.

Except for each other, if they're willing to embrace that idea, whether it's out of genius or wild-eyed derring-do.

Can they come together on a deal to share a stadium? As the two most fiscally challenged franchises in the NFL, can they remain afloat in the Bay Area?

Both men should be desperate enough. Both should be ready to deal. Jed York is trying; unlike his father, Jed York might have a chance at this, partly out of inspiration and partly out of pure desperation.

"(The perception) that there's some unhappiness between the Raiders and the 49ers is a misconception," Davis said Wednesday when asked about the shared-stadium concept during the news conference on the hiring of Tom Cable.

Advertisement

But Davis also made it clear he won't be sitting down to negotiate with the 49ers or the NFL over any stadium concept, whether it's located in Santa Clara, Oakland or wherever. Davis said he wants the 49ers and the NFL to come up with a financial plan, then present it to the Raiders, with exact costs and revenues nailed down.

If that sounds like Al Davis positioning to potentially hold the NFL and the 49ers hostage — make me happy or else — I think you're getting the point of this.

You see, Al gets involved in every detail of his organization, from the salaries of the assistant coaches to the marketing deals. But on this he says all discussions go through CEO Amy Trask.

"Go see Amy," Davis said. "She'll tell you everything that's going on with stadiums. She's very alert. She's very aware. She's smarter than I am."

In other words, Al is not dealing one-on-one with the Yorks, not yet and not for the foreseeable future.

And yet, after the near-collapse of their effort to build a Santa Clara stadium on their own, the Yorks cannot make a serious move without Davis' help.

That is actually a perfect summation of our local NFL ownership models:

Davis is the lone wolf, waiting for the right moment to pounce, even if waiting is to his detriment and if there's not really anybody worth pouncing on.

And the Yorks, after all these years, are still the nervous new proprietors, still making errors and still trying anything and everything to keep the business from running aground.

It's Jed York's turn to try to make the franchise work, and right now York needs Al Davis or else nothing works.

That's a recipe for tirades, ultimatums, lawsuits and devastation, unless Al understands that he has fallen so far that he is now Jed York's virtual equal.